Twig + Tale Evergreen Bonnet

The weather has been so moody lately here in the midwest. It has been going back and forth from hot and cold all month. I have been wishing that is would just stay cold once and for all. I grew-up in New England where there was almost always snow on the ground by this time of the year and I just can't let go of the notion that is has to be cold for me to really feel like it's the holiday season. This bonnet makes me want the cold even more.

I have really admired everything I have seen released from Twig + Tale and I was really excited to be chosen to test The Evergreen Bonnet. I made two bonnets during testing, one for my littlest guy and one for my little girl. I'll share one of my fit pics of my first version too because he is just the cutest baby deer! We went through several versions during testing while the designer tweaked the pattern to perfection. I really appreciate how much work she put into this to make sure it fit just right. I am even more excited to try more of her lovely patterns knowing that she holds her work to such high standards.

So lets talk about the pattern! There are so many options. The pattern will work year round as it can be made in a range of fabrics. You can make a sun bonnet or something to keep your little one warm and cozy. It can be made for both boys and girls of course, sizes newborn to teen. It includes options for creating a Fox, Bear, Bunny, Panda, Kitty, Mouse, or Puppy bonnet. You can add a peak. You can design your own ties. You can leave the ties off all together. You and make a bonnet with a chin strap or a self-tie version. The combinations and possibilities are endless. 

For my first bonnet, I tried out the following options; chin strap with no peak and I used the Kitty ears to create my Deer ears. I used some faux suede scraps for the outer part of the bonnet and I cut up a tan t-tshirt to make my spots. I lined it with this really cute gauze with woodland animals on it, for the lining. Remember this is not the final version of the pattern and the final version may look a little different. So yeah he looks so cute in it, but he apparently hates hats. I had to give him a little treat to distract him for a few photos.

I upcycled my daughter's winter coat from a couple of years ago for my final bonnet. She wore it when she was 2 and she adored it! I have so many sweet memories of her wearing it, hence the reason it was still tucked away until now. I used a vintage pillowcase to make the lining.  This time I made a no tie version, but I mistakenly used a pattern piece from the chin strap version, but I like how it looks. I added a little hand embroidered dandelion, using the T + T Wildflower embroidery collection. I added my daughter's name next to that. She loves that it has her name on it. She excitedly said, "L-I-L-L-Y that's how you spell my name!" and it instantly became her most favorite thing ever. I also added some soft fluffy lace trim with little pearls in it around the front of the bonnet. So pretty! 

The pattern is on sale now for $5.00! Be sure to join the Twig + Tale Facebook group and check out all of the gorgeous versions from the other creative testers!

Petite Stitchery & Co.:Maize Dress

I am so happy to share the dress I made with the new Maize pattern from Petite Stitchery & Co.! It is part of the Fall Collection releasing today from the brand new pattern company. Petite Stitchery & Co. is comprised of three fabulous and talented pattern designers. Laura Scaramella, Gemia Carroll, and Ashley Herrman have come together in an effort to offer us pdf pattern lovers, something a little unique. There will be a new collection released for each season that will be made up of patterns that work well together and can be mixed and matched. There will also be fun mini collection releases as well. So this excites me. A lot! Many of the patterns have different options and variations available. This is great because you can make so many different outfits using the patterns from a particular collection and really get more bang for your buck. If you have more than one little girl, I love the idea of using different variations of the patterns to suit each one while still keeping a similar style. They can coordinate without matching exactly. So fun!

The patterns include the layers feature that allows you to print only the size you need which is my favorite feature ever. The pattern pieces are nested which brings down the number of pages you have to print which just so happens to be the other thing that I get excited about when looking to buy a new pattern. The instructions in the tutorials are clear, simple, and easy to follow. 

So, lets talk about the pattern I tested! Maize can be made as a dress or tunic with several sleeve options, and two hem options. It features a keyhole button closure, gathered sleeves with bands and optional inseam pockets. I tested the dress length with the curved hem and long sleeves. The curved hem slopes up at the sides and I really love that unique feature. I had to make the pockets so that Lilly had somewhere to store the rocks and beautiful fall leaves she loves to collect. There were suggestions and instructions to add trim and details included in the pattern too. I feel like when I first started sewing, I concentrated so hard on learning new techniques that I forgot about adding in those fun details so I think this is a great feature! 

I have had this fabric in my stash for quite a while because I couldn't figure out what I wanted to make with it. The pattern just felt so boho so, I added the brown suede trim at the waist line and the crochet trim in that geo design was the perfect touch on the bodice and hem. I even used suede for the cuffs. I was a little unsure of myself when I first came up with this combo, but it worked out really well. The perfect fall dress! 

The full Fall Collection from Petite Stitchery & Co. is available now!  You are going to love them all and they will make a great addition to your pattern collection.